Everything you did -and didn't- know about characters all in a nutshell!
So, if someone asked you, "What's a character?" Many know the answer: It's someone that plays a role in a poem or narrative. But is that all? What kind of person is it? And what would you call this type of person?
Here a short overview:
round and flat character- remember that from elementary school english class?
Looking at these two pictures, what impression comes to mind? <-- round < --flat
The fat cupid, the "round", one, has a lot to it. Imagine it as having a lot more 'depth', there's more to find out, more the character 'holds'. The speaker, narrator, or author, takes more time to develop round characters, because we need time to find out who they are- to figure out what characterizes them. The flat character, doesn't need as full a characterization, because there just isn't much to say about this character for it to fulfill it's role in the text
Now, let's take a look at the "flat" character. There isn't much to see, and that pretty much wraps up what a flat character is. It fleshes out the setting, the plot, but solely through it's physically being there, not through it's actions or opinions.
Can you name a "round" character?
In Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys, the male character, who we can identify as Bronte's Mr. Rochester of Jane Eyre, is a multi-faceted character, who we follow along as he tries to make head or tail from what is happening around him. We gain insight into his confused feelings, and his musings on how in the world to deal with his wife, Antoinetta.
What about "flat" characters?
Flannery O'Connor makes a point by show-casing superficial characteristics of flat characters. Mrs. Freeman in Good Country People is a "flat" character because we only see that she is only a simple, silly woman who cares only to spread gossip and elaborate on her opinions.
Next up, those characters that emphasize what the main character does. This type of character is called an archetypal character.
This is Yoda. He represents the archetypal Mentor. The mentor is a character that encourages the hero and helps them by giving them knowledge, as Yoda teaches Luke Skywalker about the Force, or by giving them a weapon or helping tool. Let's stick with the Star Wars comparisons for this part just because we are cool like that.
What is an Archetype?
An Archetype is:
Something after which other similar things are patterned; a prototype
An ideal example of a type
An inherited pattern of thought or symbolic imagery derived from the past collective experience and present in the individual unconscious (Jung).
(American Dictionary)
There are many other archetypal characters: the Hero (Luke Skywalker), the Companion or sidekick (Han Solo) (This is sometimes a foil for the Hero), the Devil Figure (Darth Vader or the Senator in recent movies) who attempts to lead the character astray, the Shadow who is an amoral character who does what is necessary to do well (the Emperor does this for Darth Vader), the Fool (Han Solo), the Anima and Animus (who represents the feminine and masculine sides of the character of the male and female sex, respectively) (Leia), the Earth Mother (A symbol of both nurturing and destruction) (Luke's Aunt), the Temptress (or femme fatale), the Star-crossed lover (any teenager fits this description) (Anakin for Padme), the Jilted lover(Anakin in the 2nd episode), the Mother (nurturing and at times over protective, although she can withhold these characteristics) (Luke's Aunt), the Father, who is protective and teaching, or destructive and hurtful (Luke's Uncle and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader), Healers (Yoda again), and Tricksters (so many of these it is crazy).
An example of Archetype in the Wide Sargasso Sea is Christophine, who is an archetypal Earth Mother to Antoinette. She nurtures and protects Antoinette from her Mother, who cannot nurture or love her as Antoinette needs her to. At the same time, however, Christophine drives a wedge in Antoinette's marriage by encouraging her to leave her husband and then casting the spell that drives Rochester to Amelié, who is a Temptress.
foil
What makes the brain's "geniusness" stand out? the fact that there's pinky, who is insane; he is an idot minion of he who wants to take over the world!
A foil character, through stark contrast, accentuates a different character's qualities.
Let's take a look at Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin's Awakening, for example. Edna struggles to break the bonds placed on women by her surrounding society. She wants to indulge in and explore further her individuality, but those around her condemn her for not abiding by the customs of her time.
But what makes us grasp that Edna is rebelling against the confines of her society?
It is the character of Madame Raginolle, who is the embodiment of the ideals of what constituted a perfect wife in the Creole society of New Orleans in the United States during the late nineteenth century.
A caricature is a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect. An example of this is a George Bush cartoon, making him look more like a monkey than a person. This in turn, can be interpreted as a way of making fun of his intelligence.
More on Characters from World Lit texts...
Character: a character is the person or conscious entity we imagine to exist within the world of fiction. However, one can divide up what types of characters there are in five (5) different categories.
Flat Characters: a one-dimensional character that has only a few, easily defined traits. Most minor characters are flat.
Stranger: Raymond is the flat character in this novel because the reader knows that he clearly is a pimp even though he claims he’s a security guard.
“The word around the neighborhood is that he lives off women. But when you ask him what he does, he’s a ‘warehouse guard’”.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: The Mayor is considered a flat character because it shows how incompetent he didn’t even foresee the Vicario Brothers killing Santiago Nasar.
“Oh shit,” he said, “I guess they went back and got another pair of knives.”
Round Characters: A character in a novel whose personality is complex and multi-faced
Stranger: Meursault because he is the main character that thinks differently from the rest of society. He also blames the sun for the misfortune that happens to him.
“all I could feel were the cymbals of sunlight crashing on my forehead and, indistinctly, the dazzling spear flying up from the knife in front of me. The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes…the trigger gave; I felt the smooth underside of the butt; and there, in that noise, sharp and deafening at the same time, is where it all started. I shook off the sweat and the sun.”
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Angela Vicario is the round character because it seems that what she says isn’t completely true. What she says could be interpreted as her either lying completely or hiding bits and pieces of the truth.
“I tried to get that truth out of her myself when I visited her the second time, with all my arguments in order, but she barely lifted her eyes from the embroidery to knock them down. ‘Don’t beat it to death, cousin,’ she told me. ‘He was the one.’”
Confidant:A character in a drama or fiction, such as a trusted friend or servant, who serves as a device for revealing the inner thoughts or intentions of a main character.
Stranger: Meursault doesn’t have a Confidant in the novel, because nobody reveals the inner thoughts or intentions of him.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: there also is no Confidant in Chronicle because nobody reveals the thoughts of Santiago.
Foil:A minor character whose situation or actions parallel those of a major character, and thus by contrast sets off or illuminates the major character
Stranger: Salamano could be considered a foil character, however he doesn’t let go of all emotion to be like Meursault. The only thing that he parallels with is that he tries to lead his life in a way like Meursault without understanding why Meursault is the way he is. One can only assume that this is because of his physical flaws.
“Old Salamano has reddish scabs on his face and wispy yellow hair. As for the dog, he’s sort of taken on his master’s stooped look, muzzle down, neck straining.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: none.
Archetype: Archetype characters are divided up into other categories in their role in the novel. The archetypes are:
Hero: willing to sacrifice own needs for others’ welfare
Herald: character that issues challenge or announces coming of significant change.
Shadow: the villain in the story; the enemy of the hero.
Shapeshifter: changes identity, shape, etc. throughout the story
Threshold Guardian: the character that assists in the decision making of the hero crossing into threshold (embarking on the journey)
Trickster: comedic relief!
Mentor: the character that aids or trains the hero. Usually teaches, protects and gives gifts.
Stranger: Hero: Meursault is considered more of an anti hero in The Stranger, his point of view on the world goes against everything that society considers the norm, however people around him believe he is a good guy even though he is extremely honest and unemotional. Herald: the Herald in this case would be Raymond, because he introduces the Arabs into the novel, which in the end causes Meursault to kill one of the Arabs. Shadow: would be society, for misunderstanding Meursault’s views and condemning him to death not because he killed an Arab, but because he didn’t express any emotion during his mother’s funeral. Shapeshifter: Meursault is also a shapeshifter. He does a slight change were he realizes that he isn’t going to be put to death on a platform, but on the same ground as everyone else. Thus making him not seem special. Threshold Guardian: the sun plays as the threshold guardian because it forces Meursault to squeeze the trigger and kill the Arab. This in turn makes him embark on his journey.
The trickster and mentor do not appear in The Stranger.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Hero: Santiago Nasar, because he is the one that dies and his death is often alluded to the crucifixion of Christ. Herald: It would have to be Bayardo San Roman because when he is going to have sex with Angela Vicario, he discovers that shes not a virgin, which in turn causes her to blame Santiago, which results with him being slaughtered by her brothers. Shadow: Angela Vicario because it is her fault for saying it was Santiago Nasar who stole her virginity, when it doesn’t seem clear that he actually did it. its possible, however it is inconceivable. Shapeshifter: Bayardo San Roman changes in the end after Angela sends him two thousand letters. Because of this, it shows that she still cares about him, which causes him to change from being a stubborn stuck up man to being more accepting. Threshold Guardian: The Vicario Brothers are the Threshold Guardians, because they are the ones that commit the murder of Santiago Nasar, which leads to the “journey” of people wondering why he died and if he actually did take her virginity.
Caricature:a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect
Characters 101
Everything you did -and didn't- know about characters all in a nutshell!So, if someone asked you, "What's a character?" Many know the answer: It's someone that plays a role in a poem or narrative. But is that all? What kind of person is it? And what would you call this type of person?
Here a short overview:
round and flat character- remember that from elementary school english class?
Looking at these two pictures, what impression comes to mind?
The fat cupid, the "round", one, has a lot to it. Imagine it as having a lot more 'depth', there's more to find out, more the character 'holds'. The speaker, narrator, or author, takes more time to develop round characters, because we need time to find out who they are- to figure out what characterizes them. The flat character, doesn't need as full a characterization, because there just isn't much to say about this character for it to fulfill it's role in the text
Now, let's take a look at the "flat" character. There isn't much to see, and that pretty much wraps up what a flat character is. It fleshes out the setting, the plot, but solely through it's physically being there, not through it's actions or opinions.
Can you name a "round" character?
In Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys, the male character, who we can identify as Bronte's Mr. Rochester of Jane Eyre, is a multi-faceted character, who we follow along as he tries to make head or tail from what is happening around him. We gain insight into his confused feelings, and his musings on how in the world to deal with his wife, Antoinetta.
What about "flat" characters?
Flannery O'Connor makes a point by show-casing superficial characteristics of flat characters. Mrs. Freeman in Good Country People is a "flat" character because we only see that she is only a simple, silly woman who cares only to spread gossip and elaborate on her opinions.
Next up, those characters that emphasize what the main character does. This type of character is called an archetypal character.
This is Yoda. He represents the archetypal Mentor. The mentor is a character that encourages the hero and helps them by giving them knowledge, as Yoda teaches Luke Skywalker about the Force, or by giving them a weapon or helping tool. Let's stick with the Star Wars comparisons for this part just because we are cool like that.
What is an Archetype?
An Archetype is:
- Something after which other similar things are patterned; a prototype
- An ideal example of a type
- An inherited pattern of thought or symbolic imagery derived from the past collective experience and present in the individual unconscious (Jung).
(American Dictionary)There are many other archetypal characters: the Hero (Luke Skywalker), the Companion or sidekick (Han Solo) (This is sometimes a foil for the Hero), the Devil Figure (Darth Vader or the Senator in recent movies) who attempts to lead the character astray, the Shadow who is an amoral character who does what is necessary to do well (the Emperor does this for Darth Vader), the Fool (Han Solo), the Anima and Animus (who represents the feminine and masculine sides of the character of the male and female sex, respectively) (Leia), the Earth Mother (A symbol of both nurturing and destruction) (Luke's Aunt), the Temptress (or femme fatale), the Star-crossed lover (any teenager fits this description) (Anakin for Padme), the Jilted lover(Anakin in the 2nd episode), the Mother (nurturing and at times over protective, although she can withhold these characteristics) (Luke's Aunt), the Father, who is protective and teaching, or destructive and hurtful (Luke's Uncle and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader), Healers (Yoda again), and Tricksters (so many of these it is crazy).
An example of Archetype in the Wide Sargasso Sea is Christophine, who is an archetypal Earth Mother to Antoinette. She nurtures and protects Antoinette from her Mother, who cannot nurture or love her as Antoinette needs her to. At the same time, however, Christophine drives a wedge in Antoinette's marriage by encouraging her to leave her husband and then casting the spell that drives Rochester to Amelié, who is a Temptress.
foil
What makes the brain's "geniusness" stand out? the fact that there's pinky, who is insane; he is an idot minion of he who wants to take over the world!
A foil character, through stark contrast, accentuates a different character's qualities.
Let's take a look at Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin's Awakening, for example. Edna struggles to break the bonds placed on women by her surrounding society. She wants to indulge in and explore further her individuality, but those around her condemn her for not abiding by the customs of her time.
But what makes us grasp that Edna is rebelling against the confines of her society?
It is the character of Madame Raginolle, who is the embodiment of the ideals of what constituted a perfect wife in the Creole society of New Orleans in the United States during the late nineteenth century.
A caricature is a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect. An example of this is a George Bush cartoon, making him look more like a monkey than a person. This in turn, can be interpreted as a way of making fun of his intelligence.
More on Characters from World Lit texts...
Character: a character is the person or conscious entity we imagine to exist within the world of fiction. However, one can divide up what types of characters there are in five (5) different categories.
Flat Characters: a one-dimensional character that has only a few, easily defined traits. Most minor characters are flat.
Stranger: Raymond is the flat character in this novel because the reader knows that he clearly is a pimp even though he claims he’s a security guard.
“The word around the neighborhood is that he lives off women. But when you ask him what he does, he’s a ‘warehouse guard’”.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: The Mayor is considered a flat character because it shows how incompetent he didn’t even foresee the Vicario Brothers killing Santiago Nasar.
“Oh shit,” he said, “I guess they went back and got another pair of knives.”
Round Characters: A character in a novel whose personality is complex and multi-faced
Stranger: Meursault because he is the main character that thinks differently from the rest of society. He also blames the sun for the misfortune that happens to him.
“all I could feel were the cymbals of sunlight crashing on my forehead and, indistinctly, the dazzling spear flying up from the knife in front of me. The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes…the trigger gave; I felt the smooth underside of the butt; and there, in that noise, sharp and deafening at the same time, is where it all started. I shook off the sweat and the sun.”
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Angela Vicario is the round character because it seems that what she says isn’t completely true. What she says could be interpreted as her either lying completely or hiding bits and pieces of the truth.
“I tried to get that truth out of her myself when I visited her the second time, with all my arguments in order, but she barely lifted her eyes from the embroidery to knock them down. ‘Don’t beat it to death, cousin,’ she told me. ‘He was the one.’”
Confidant:A character in a drama or fiction, such as a trusted friend or servant, who serves as a device for revealing the inner thoughts or intentions of a main character.
Stranger: Meursault doesn’t have a Confidant in the novel, because nobody reveals the inner thoughts or intentions of him.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: there also is no Confidant in Chronicle because nobody reveals the thoughts of Santiago.
Foil:A minor character whose situation or actions parallel those of a major character, and thus by contrast sets off or illuminates the major character
Stranger: Salamano could be considered a foil character, however he doesn’t let go of all emotion to be like Meursault. The only thing that he parallels with is that he tries to lead his life in a way like Meursault without understanding why Meursault is the way he is. One can only assume that this is because of his physical flaws.
“Old Salamano has reddish scabs on his face and wispy yellow hair. As for the dog, he’s sort of taken on his master’s stooped look, muzzle down, neck straining.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: none.
Archetype: Archetype characters are divided up into other categories in their role in the novel. The archetypes are:
Stranger:
Hero: Meursault is considered more of an anti hero in The Stranger, his point of view on the world goes against everything that society considers the norm, however people around him believe he is a good guy even though he is extremely honest and unemotional.
Herald: the Herald in this case would be Raymond, because he introduces the Arabs into the novel, which in the end causes Meursault to kill one of the Arabs.
Shadow: would be society, for misunderstanding Meursault’s views and condemning him to death not because he killed an Arab, but because he didn’t express any emotion during his mother’s funeral.
Shapeshifter: Meursault is also a shapeshifter. He does a slight change were he realizes that he isn’t going to be put to death on a platform, but on the same ground as everyone else. Thus making him not seem special.
Threshold Guardian: the sun plays as the threshold guardian because it forces Meursault to squeeze the trigger and kill the Arab. This in turn makes him embark on his journey.
The trickster and mentor do not appear in The Stranger.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold:
Hero: Santiago Nasar, because he is the one that dies and his death is often alluded to the crucifixion of Christ.
Herald: It would have to be Bayardo San Roman because when he is going to have sex with Angela Vicario, he discovers that shes not a virgin, which in turn causes her to blame Santiago, which results with him being slaughtered by her brothers.
Shadow: Angela Vicario because it is her fault for saying it was Santiago Nasar who stole her virginity, when it doesn’t seem clear that he actually did it. its possible, however it is inconceivable.
Shapeshifter: Bayardo San Roman changes in the end after Angela sends him two thousand letters. Because of this, it shows that she still cares about him, which causes him to change from being a stubborn stuck up man to being more accepting.
Threshold Guardian: The Vicario Brothers are the Threshold Guardians, because they are the ones that commit the murder of Santiago Nasar, which leads to the “journey” of people wondering why he died and if he actually did take her virginity.
Caricature:a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect
Stranger: none
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: none